Six tips for savings at the pump

Byline2:

Savannah

Six tips for savings at the pump

1. Use your smart phone. Check to see if your favorite gas station has an application. Parker’s has an application that gives you the price of gas at all area Parker’s stations. I tested the application from Savannah to Springfield and the prices displayed at the pump and on the application were accurate. I was able to find similar locations for other gas stations. The Pilot app also gives you the prices at area gas stations and has a trip-planning feature that will help you find Pilot stores along your route. For an overview of many stops along your route, there’s a GasBuddy app.

2. Plan when you are going to stop for fuel. Don’t wait until you are running on fumes and have to get gas. This may force you to stop at a gas station you normally wouldn’t, and the cost could be much higher. Instead pay attention to all of the gas stations along your route and determine which place usually has the best price. For example, we often fill up at Parker’s — we check our phone app to find the cheapest price nearby, and the Rincon store usually has cheaper gas. Even though we live in Springfield, we will wait until we drive through Rincon on our way to work to fill up.

3. Use your computer. If you don’t have a smartphone, use online resources such as gasbuddy.com to find the cheapest gas in the area. This site allows you to search by zip code and is free to use.

4. Phone a friend. If you don’t have a smartphone or a computer to look up the best gas prices, call a friend who does.

5. Ask for advice on Facebook, Twitter or other social media channels. Chances are, some of your friends are already out and about and may have spotted a deal. I was traveling from Savannah to Springfield and found one Parker’s gas station in Port Wentworth offering a 10 cent per gallon discount when all other locations were only offering a seven cent per gallon discount.

6. Shop for groceries, save on gas. Take advantage of Kroger’s fuel program. Its program allows you to receive savings of up to $1 off per gallon on fuel purchases at Kroger and 10 cents per gallon at participating Shell stations. You may redeem 100 fuel points at participating Shell stations for a 10 cents per gallon savings. Also, you may redeem up to 1,000 fuel points in a single fill-up at Kroger for up to $1 off per gallon. Every $1 spent at Kroger is worth a point, and they run promotions throughout the year that will allow you to earn up to four times the points for every dollar you spend on eligible purchases. Bi-Lo offers five cents off per gallon at BP for every $50 in groceries that you spend. Publix often offers $10 off a $50 gas card with a $50 grocery purchase. This is before any other coupons are applied so you could pay as little as $1 for those groceries and still save money on the gas card. Select a Shell card if it is available and use it to pay for your gasoline and double the savings by using your Kroger points to reduce the gas cost.